Car trailer ramps

**journeyman Mick** · 28th February 2011, 11:48 PM

Need a bit of advice on the above. I'm engaging in a bit of budget motorsport and need a trailer to transport my $150 khanacross car.

The trailer is pretty much sorted, I have a heavy duty 4m long caravan chassis plus electric brakes, springs, guards etc, just need to get a couple of suitable axles. To keep the cost down I was hoping to utilise materials I already have for the ramps, which I figure will need to be about 2m long, although I'd like to stretch them to 2.5m if possible. I have some C150 purlins and I was hoping to use two lengths per ramp, channel down (I'm pretty sure it's stronger this way) and space them 100mm apart. Then I'd weld some 25 x 25 angle on to them at around 100mm centres to hold them together and provide grip for the tyres. The bits of angle would be 300mm long and positioned so that the corner of the angle would be sitting point up, if that makes it any clearer. Any ideas if this would be strong enough? My mates trailer has ramps that are made of two lengths of 50 x 25 rhs with chequer plate between them, and I think some angle underneath the plate.

Mick

**Claw Hama** · 1st March 2011, 07:19 AM

How much does your Kcar weigh MIck? or what is it? Generaly a caravan sub frame would be a bit week, I think you would have to beef it up quite a bit but it depends what you are putting on it. C purlins I also would have thought a bit light but if you, nah I think its too light but you can always give it a go. I used to use C purlin for motor bikes which was fine but a car? not sure. Like you said, I have used many trailers with 50 x 25 rhs or similar with checker plate or expandamesh, often with a bend but it seems to do the job. Would also depend on wall thickness.

**journeyman Mick** · 1st March 2011, 09:38 AM

The caravan chassis is very beefy, not at all like most that I've seen. It's actually heavier than that on my mates' pro-built car trailer. My K-car is a '90 Barina which weighs about 780kg according to the book, but has had a few kilos stripped out. My gut feeling is that the ramps will be adequate for this car, but possibly not for a larger one.

I plan on welding flat bar across the open channel end, aligned with the pieces of angle on the top. For the ramp to fail the sides of the channel would have to spread out and this would prevent that. I'm thinking that unless there's a more scientific approach suggested, I'll set up one length of purlin and get a few mates over and we'll do a dynamic load test by jumping up and down on it with three of us.

Mick

**Claw Hama** · 1st March 2011, 09:44 AM

Sounds good, with ramps its often the speed that you hit them at that does the damage. If you go gently you'll always have a better chance. Have fun Mick.

**Cliff Rogers** · 1st March 2011, 10:01 AM

If C purlins were stronger channel down, why don't they use them that way in building sheds?

**journeyman Mick** · 1st March 2011, 10:18 AM

Well obviously they're stronger on edge, but I don't want ramps that are 100mm thick. I don't think I could get away with using them on edge and only welding bits of angle onto the bottom flange. I think the purlins would tend to rotate in under load and jam against the tyres before buckling altogether. I'm pretty sure that if I made a box arrangement 300mm wide by 100mm high, with the purlins as the 100mm sides then it would be more than strong enough but pretty unweildy.

Mick

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